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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. lie — to recline
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. craft — boats
  5. staff — employees
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bulb — for light
  8. track — a song
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. craft — a skill
  11. staff — employees
  12. bass — the fish
  13. track — to keep track
  14. shower — rain
  15. track — a path
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. bass — low music
  20. bulb — for light
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. chair — a leader
  24. shower — to wash

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com